this post was submitted on 21 Feb 2025
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politics

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Summary

Edward Coristine, a 19-year-old DOGE staffer recently promoted to a senior adviser role in the State Department, is reportedly the grandson of former KGB spy Valery Martynov.

Martynov was executed in the Soviet Union after being exposed as an FBI informant. Coristine, an alleged former cybercriminal, previously worked in the General Services Administration and now has potential access to sensitive diplomatic data.

Concerns have been raised over his background and apparent lack of a security check.

The situation fuels fears about foreign influence in U.S. government operations.

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[–] PantanoPete@lemmy.zip 3 points 11 hours ago

So what? The KGB hasn't existed for 30 years or more. My dad was a dead beat, what does that matter? The bigger problem is what he is doing not who his parents and grand parents were lol

[–] eugenevdebs@lemmy.dbzer0.com 14 points 17 hours ago (1 children)

What kind of North Korean "sins of the father" shit is this?

Punish him for his actions of helping Musk take over the government in a coup, not that his grandad did spycraft every nation did in the Cold War.

I don't care if he was the grandson of Jesus Christ and Buddha if he is a dipshit fascist. Fascists get called out for being fascists, not being related to one they might have never known.

[–] michaelmrose@lemmy.world 16 points 17 hours ago (5 children)

National security isn't fair because its more important than being fair and those who are for any reasons suspect are free to do any of the other hundreds of millions of jobs.

People are absolutely suspect because of their associations.

[–] Mic_Check_One_Two@reddthat.com 8 points 15 hours ago

Exactly this. Top Secret clearance typically extends out to three degrees of separation. They’ll check on you, your friends/family, and their friends/family. Because when national security is concerned, they don’t want to risk a leak due to something like a cousin being a spy and going drinking after work with the employee.

[–] WhatYouNeed@lemmy.world 3 points 17 hours ago

100%. This arsehole deserves it.

[–] TokenBoomer@lemmy.world -1 points 11 hours ago (1 children)

National security being more important than being fair has been justification to do many of the most horrific acts in recent history.

[–] michaelmrose@lemmy.world 2 points 7 hours ago (1 children)

Nonsense. Its normal for a small number of highly secure roles to go only to people whose loyalty is beyond and known doubt. This means if you have questonable family you can only be a CEO, scientist, dentist welder or race car driver or you know all the other jobs other than say head of the NSA or part of the team with access to all our secrets

[–] TokenBoomer@lemmy.world 1 points 4 minutes ago

Advocating for nepotism on the basis of loyalty and national security is partly why we are in this mess. America has never been a meritocracy, and we should stop pretending it ever was.

[–] eugenevdebs@lemmy.dbzer0.com 0 points 14 hours ago* (last edited 14 hours ago) (2 children)

Then would a check to everyone of an immigrant family be acceptable? Only people who's family have never left the country are fit to protect it?

That feels like a violation of the 14th amendment, and ensures only redneck Republican hillbillies are the ones who ensure the safety of Americans.

[–] michaelmrose@lemmy.world 1 points 7 hours ago

Being a child of an immigrant isn't kinda depends on where from and whether we are at war with them

[–] TokenBoomer@lemmy.world 1 points 10 hours ago

I’m not sure the people making the jingoistic comments are aware of the implications of this way of thinking.

[–] CharlesDarwin@lemmy.world 32 points 22 hours ago (1 children)

Even if this stupid asshole isn't related to a KGB spy...WTAF:

recently promoted to a senior adviser role in the State Department

He's a FUCKING TEENAGER. The guy cannot even legally drink. Cannot rent a car.

[–] pyre@lemmy.world 8 points 18 hours ago

Elon's just excited he found someone almost as rizzless as he is.

[–] Kalysta@lemm.ee 14 points 20 hours ago (3 children)

And what is anyone doing about it?

I am seeing nothing but stories today about how trump, musk, and musk’s incel groupies are all tied to russia. And no one arresting them for being undocumented foreign agents.

So why bother reporting?

[–] yunxiaoli@sh.itjust.works 6 points 18 hours ago

Who would arrest them? Dems and gop both have spent a century placing nearly all government power with scotus and the executive. The judicial isnt going to start drafting an army of armed officers of the court, so that just means the executive is going to continue to use all of the power both parties decided to give it.

[–] WhatYouNeed@lemmy.world 2 points 17 hours ago

You knew about this before? I didn't. Report it.

Information is key.

[–] SickofthisShit@lemm.ee 4 points 20 hours ago

America is in shock at the moment.

[–] redwattlebird@lemmings.world 87 points 1 day ago (2 children)

Surely the fact that he's 19 and a senior advisor in a state department is more damning than his lineage? And that Trump is very obviously friendly with Putin?

I think this familial connection is just a storm in a teacup which is sitting inside a much larger storm.

[–] Placebonickname@lemmy.world 13 points 1 day ago (2 children)

U know what I was doing at 19 years old? Nothing…nothing that counted as work. I won a bacon eating contest at college and played a ton of Mario Kart 64.

[–] Saleh@feddit.org 2 points 10 hours ago (1 children)

Yeah, and other people led successful military campaigns and even empires at that age.

Alexander "the great" was 20 years old, when he got into power.
Scipio who later defeated Hannibal got his name on the roaster for a daring charge as an 18 years old officer.
Pennypacker was 16-19 years old when he became captain in the US Union army and was 20-22 when he became Brigardier General and was awarded the Medal of Honor in 1865

This is just some quick examples i found, but history is riddled with young people excelling in leadership roles.

[–] Placebonickname@lemmy.world 1 points 4 hours ago

Yeah, but that’s like when people died from old age when they were 40 have their midlife crisis by the time they’re 21, get married at 12 and cheat on your wife at 16. Have to set up alimony payments. …

[–] stardust@lemmy.ca 13 points 1 day ago (1 children)

And that was very responsible of you. Wish more people would be participating in bacon eating contests over actively making the world a worse place. Please play video games and go have harmless fun. It's better for society.

[–] Alenalda@lemmy.world 3 points 22 hours ago (1 children)

I see what youre saying, but clearly pigs were harmed for this fun.

[–] Ridgetop18@lemmy.blahaj.zone 1 points 11 hours ago

What this country needs is more pigs being harmed in the name of fun.

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[–] NotLemming@lemm.ee 15 points 1 day ago
[–] simplejack@lemmy.world 173 points 1 day ago (6 children)

Big Balls looks like a Connecticut boat shoe that came to life.

[–] CharlesDarwin@lemmy.world 7 points 22 hours ago

I know it's a long shot, but I so want sanity restored and people like him rounded the fuck up and charged with breaking into government systems.

I want the legal system to wipe that fucking smug look right off their faces.

[–] Catoblepas@lemmy.blahaj.zone 85 points 1 day ago (2 children)

He looks like a half dressed toddler. Nice of him to give everyone an immediate visual cue for what they’re about to deal with, I guess.

[–] LillyPip@lemmy.ca 3 points 15 hours ago

I love it when the Nazis make themselves this punchable. Makes it easier for the sentient to take hold.

[–] jaybone@lemmy.world 27 points 1 day ago

Maybe musk will start carrying him around.

[–] Veedem@lemmy.world 30 points 1 day ago

That’s a wonderfully specific yet accurate description. Up you go.

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[–] Dagwood222@lemm.ee 109 points 1 day ago (6 children)

[slightly off topic]

I'm a native of the Northeastern United States and I've lived in numerous areas depicted in the media as being under the influence of 'organized crime.' To wit, Harlem, lower Manhattan, Hell's Kitchen, and Staten Island.

Actual tough guys never have nicknames like 'Big Balls.' Never. The guys you fear have names like 'the Chin,' or 'Bumpy,' or 'Legs.' Al Capone's buddies called him 'Snorky.'

[–] Quill7513@slrpnk.net 59 points 1 day ago (12 children)

Yeah street names are always an endearing insult

[–] GeeDubHayduke@lemmy.dbzer0.com 6 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

I worked in construction and we used radios to communicate between crews. One kid insisted we call him 'AntDawg.' His name was Anthony.

It's started with 'Labradoodle.' He put up with that for two days before bitching he didn't wanna be Labradoodle. Everyone agreed it was too annoying over the radio, so we all agreed to shorten it. Doodle still hates his name.

[–] Mic_Check_One_Two@reddthat.com 4 points 14 hours ago* (last edited 14 hours ago)

I know a dude who introduced himself with “hey, my name’s Mike but call me Spike.” I think it was one of those “I just changed schools and want to reinvent myself as someone cooler” scenarios.

That was like 15 years ago. To this day, we still call him Spmike (pronounced “SPUH-mike”).

[–] sp3tr4l@lemmy.zip 29 points 1 day ago (6 children)

Pilot's nicknames / unofficial callsigns often are as well, some kind of back handed reference to a fuck-up or troublesome character trait.

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[–] watson387@sopuli.xyz 81 points 1 day ago

You can't even make this shit up...

[–] SinningStromgald@lemmy.world 46 points 1 day ago (1 children)

It is so sad how fitting this image is and will be for the foreseeable future.

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[–] grue@lemmy.world 17 points 1 day ago

How the Hell does someone have a background as both a cybercriminal and a GSA employee at 19? I mean, sure, you can be a cybercriminal as an adolescent. But why is the GSA even hiring anybody that young at all?

[–] bizzle@lemmy.world 0 points 15 hours ago

Big balls, hella small dick. Obviously

[–] Deceptichum@quokk.au 28 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (8 children)

I don’t get this angle.

So his grandparent was someone who on being exposed to the American way of life converted to the American side, helped America, and was killed by the Soviets for it. And they’re what, worried this previous generations pro-American views will somehow influence the kid today?

Go with them being a cybercriminal thing, not some bizzaro sins of the father nonsense.

[–] eugenevdebs@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 points 17 hours ago

I don't care who someone's family is, their actions are what defines them.

If someone was the son of Hitler and they did massive charity work, I don't care. If someone was the child of Theodore Roosevelt and murdered someone, I don't care.

It's weird that being the grandson of some random KGB is what matters here more than the fact they are aiding a fascist take over. Like it's in their DNA.

My grandfather on my mother's side was a Nazi. We're unsure of it was willing or "everyone had be in Nazi Germany." I still fight for the rights of minorities everywhere. His actions don't speak for mine. Nor my mother's.

[–] Serinus@lemmy.world 13 points 1 day ago (1 children)

It's the kind of thing you'd have to disclose before getting a security clearance. And the FBI would be the ones to decide if it's okay. Not Elon.

[–] KinglyWeevil@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 points 23 hours ago (1 children)

If it was your parent, definitely. They don't ask about grandparents. I don't know there's a place on the SF-86 for you to insert this info.

[–] Serinus@lemmy.world 1 points 9 hours ago* (last edited 9 hours ago)

The part of the SF-86 form where it asks about foreign contacts, including any family members not already listed.

Include associates as well as relatives, not previously listed in Section 18.

It's not optional.

[–] Aqarius@lemmy.world 6 points 1 day ago

The angle is that the Overton window shifted so far right that the disagreement is now which foreigners (and secret, domestic foreigners) are to blame for the country's decline.

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